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More details emerge in fatal shooting

Michael Tafoya, 27, had gun collection nearby at start of gun fight

By Ryan Boetel The Daily Times

Updated:
07/31/2013 09:36:35 PM MDT

On Tuesday, a stuffed bear and flowers lay on the ground near the corner of North Orchard Avenue and East Hopi Street in Farmington where Christopher Valdez, 40, was shot and killed Saturday night. (Jon Austria The Daily Times)

Lawrence Kellywood (Courtesy of the San Juan County Adult Detention Center)

FARMINGTON — Michael Tafoya had his gun collection sprawled out in front of him Saturday night when a man knocked on his door and started a gun fight that left a bystander dead and riddled the neighborhood with bullets, according to recently released court documents.

The affidavit for Kellywood's arrest provides a detailed account of the shootout, but it does not shed light on what motivated the altercation that left one man dead and at least three people injured in Farmington on Saturday night.

Kellywood is being held on a $300,000 cash-only bond set by Magistrate Judge Mark Hawkinson, who said in court documents that Kellywood is a threat to the community and may not show up to court hearings.

Court documents describe the events.

At about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Tafoya and friends David Anderson and Kathleen Keck were at Tafoya's home at 101 E. Hopi St. The friends were celebrating Anderson's recent work promotion.

Anderson told police that he and Tafoya were smoking marijuana and talking about guns when Keck received a phone call and stepped out of the house.

Moments later, Anderson and Tafoya heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Keck, Tafoya yelled out that the door was open.

No answer. More knocks.

When Tafoya got up and answered the door, he saw a man wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt. The man was looking down with his hood pulled up to hide his face.

Tafoya looked surprised and asked what the man wanted, Anderson later told police.

Anderson said he was nervous because the man was hiding something behind his back so he walked toward a back bedroom. Anderson looked back just as the man in the sweatshirt raised his arm and pointed a gun at Tafoya. Then the man started shooting into Tafoya's home, according to court documents.

Tafoya returned fire, according to the documents, emptying a 14-round magazine from his semi-automatic pistol. Tafoya said another man who was with Kellywood also started to shoot into his home.

After emptying his pistol, Tafoya grabbed a revolver and fired five more shots.

Tafoya was shot in his left arm and armpit.

Michael Tafoya, 27, pictured in a Facebook photo, was shot at his home on East Hopi Street on Saturday. Lawrence Kellywood, 26, was arrested on suspision of attempted murder in connection to the shooting. (null)

Keck, who was on the porch, was shot in the arm and chest, said Farmington police Detective Sgt. Brandon Lane. It's not clear who fired the shots that hit her.

Tafoya and Keck have since been released from the hospital.

Christopher Valdez, 40, was shot in the chest several hundred feet away from the shooting and died at the scene. Police said he was a bystander who was checking to see what was going on when he was shot.

After the shooting, Tafoya went into his bedroom, found Anderson under his bed and told his friend to call police. Tafoya then went to Keck on the porch and put pressure on her wounds until police arrived.

Police said Kellywood and the other suspect fled after the shooting. Kellywood was dropped off at San Juan Regional Medical Center where he was treated for gunshot wounds to his arm and chin. His clothing at the hospital matched the man who shot into Tafoya's house, according to court documents.

Detectives attempted to interview Kellywood, but he was extremely intoxicated, injured and passed out, according to the documents.

Several hours after the shooting, Levi Wilson, a 31-year-old Kirtland man, arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds to his left hand and right arm.

Lane said police are working to determine whether or not Wilson was the other shooter. As of Tuesday, Wilson was still at the hospital and was listed in good condition, according to a nurse supervisor. And, as of Tuesday, he had not been charged with a crime.

Lane said all four guns recovered from the crime scene belonged to Tafoya, and he used two of them in the shooting. Police are still searching for other weapons used in the shooting.

Lane said police are working with those involved to determine exactly what happened.

"We will do that mainly through taking everyone's statements and determining where people said they were during the shooting," Lane said.

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